2008 NFL Scouting Combine Discussion

SRW · Feb 25, 2008

2008 Scouting Combine: Sunday Recap

Day four of the NFL Scouting Combine was the weeks most eventful. It featured the skill position players out on the field. Even the top prospects participated in at least some of the days workouts, making it very exciting to watch. There were many highlights and numbers to cover so lets jump right into it.

Before the NFL Networks scheduled coverage began, San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson came out with the first group of quarterbacks and an unofficial 4.44 40. The number was later changed to an official 4.55, which is still an impressive number for a quarterback. With plenty of pocket passers in the draft in Brohm, Ryan, Flacco, Henne, Ainge, etc., expect a team to fall in love with Johnsons dual-threat ability and Jim Harbaugh coaching which will land him smack in the middle of the second round. San Diego State quarterback Kevin OConnell also impressed scouts with his unique combination of size and athleticism. At 65, 225, OConnell managed to run a 4.61. Hell find himself drafted somewhere in late day two as a result of great depth. Hes a project with NFL tools.

As the quarterbacks wrapped up their day, it was Brian Brohm and Colt Brennan who both looked solid throwing the ball. I rank these guys one and five respectively on my quarterback rankings, but have both seen their general stock slip. Prior to the season, Brohm was nearly the consensus top quarterback. As Louisville saw its season worsen with loss after loss, Brohm stock saw the same. People question his arm strength and ability to throw on the run, but he looked very polished throwing the ball today. Hawaiis gunslinger wasnt fibbing when he told us he had been on a strict weight gain program and he wasnt fibbing when he told us he had been working on his footwork. Throwing the ball to a variety of receivers, including three of his own Hawaii guys, Brennan placed the ball on the money repeatedly while showing better use of footwork to help get more velocity behind his passes. Though they were just simple drills with no rush, I think both players have taken a step in the right direction.

While the quarterbacks went through some of the other drills, the wide receivers were out on the sideline running the 40 yard dash. Like Johnson, it was Appalachian States Dexter Jackson who received much of the early hype with an unofficial 4.27. Once the official numbers were out, it was DeSean Jacksons 4.35 that topped the day, while Jacksons time was downgraded a tenth to 4.37. Andre Caldwell (4.37), Eddie Royal (4.39), and Devin Thomas (4.40) all had impressive days as well. Thomas is an intriguing prospect. Hes a JUCO transfer with only one spectacular season. Hes tough receiver whose also showed great explosion. Teams will have to weigh upside vs. production, but a team could realize his worth take him at the backend of the first round.

Two of the bigger receivers had phenomenal days and worked their way into the round one range as well. First off was Limas Sweed who as 64, 216 came out and ran an unofficial 4.46 40 and had a 35 inch vertical jump. Sweed is a much better athlete than I expected and this Combine will certainly help him leapfrog a bunch of mediocre guys. The other guy I was impressed by was Indianas former hoops star, James Hardy. At 65 3/8 and 217 pounds, he measured in shorter than expected. Once he hit the field, he came out with an unofficial best of a 4.47 along with good times in the Cone and Shuttle drills. This shows that he has the ability to get in and out of cuts, but just hasnt learned it yet. He helped his stock considerably as well.

Finally, there were two receivers that had poor days. First off was Oklahoma States Adarius Bowman who posted a 4.69. Its not much lower than I expected, but from where his stock was, he has all but assured himself as a late day one, early day two prospect. Then I was shocked when I saw the screen when Mario Manningham ran his first 40. Manningham was considered the best deep threat of the draft and routinely made big plays throughout his career at Michigan. At just under 60 and 181 pounds, Super Mario came out with a best of a 4.59 40 (unofficial). Scouts will have to take a second look at the tapes again to see how well his speed translates to the game. Its quite possible that he plays like a 4.3-4.4 player, but like Devin Hester, runs his best when lined up next to somebody. All it takes is one General Manager to see this and the first round is still an option. Middle of round two makes the most sense to me, however.

The final position to workout was the running backs and some very impressive numbers were posted. If youve followed the Combine in any way, youve probably already heard of Chris Johnsons 4.24 official 40 yard dash. Bottom line: that is exceptional speed. What makes him such an intriguing prospect is that hes had the numbers to back it up both on the ground and through the air. What teams will have to evaluate with him is whether or not they trust their coaches to be creative enough with him and if they can get him enough touches. He wont line up in the backfield and give you 15 carries a game because he loves to bounce it outside and as Mike Mayock says, is allergic to between the tackles.

The big three were also mighty impressive in their own right. I was shocked that Darren McFadden went through most of the workouts and I really think hes solidified his stock as a top five prospect. With an official 4.33 40 time, hes shown that he has the top end speed and explosiveness for the next level. The question with him becomes whether or not he can carry a workload without coughing it up and grinding out the crucial yards when his team needs it most. My second running back, Rashard Mendenhall leaves Indianapolis after putting a smile on my face. At what first appeared to be a sub 4.4 40 turned out to be a 4.45. For a 510, 225 pound running back, he has everything I look for from a speed perspective as well as strength (26 reps) and heart standpoint. Then my third back, also in my top 10 overall, is Jonathan Stewart, Oregons body-builder. At 510, 235, Stewart had the most reps (35) and highest vertical jump (36.5 inches) for a running back. He didnt time sub 4.4 as some has spoken of, but came in with a very impressive 4.48. All three backs leave Indy as top 10 guys in my books and are separated from each other by the slimmest of margins.

Finally, let me close with a couple bigger guys who exceeded my expectations. Let me start off with my hometown favorite Ray Rice who ran an unofficial 4.44. He has the vision, heart, and determination to make it into the league. Hell fit perfectly into the zone-blocking system. Then there was unknown Jalen Parmele from Toledo who at 60, 224 ran a 4.47 showing good top end speed. Hes another one of those backs that looks quick in the hole. Then the battle of the 2000 yard backs turned out very well. Matt Forte might have moved himself into the second round range after displaying 4.46 speed, 23 strength reps, and a 33 inch vertical. He went though the full workout and looked mighty impressive. Lastly, Central Floridas Kevin Smith needed to show good speed and he did just that with an unofficial 4.43 40 yard dash. If his number holds up fairly well to the official one, look for him to also work his way into the round two range. Today was supposed to clear up the picture for the running backs, but all it did was create more confusion. Its a great thing for any team looking to bolster up their backfield and switch to the two-back system because productive guys will be had in rounds two and three.
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RonMexico7 · Feb 25, 2008

Falcons were "big" on McFadden. I hope they draft for line help instead as, to me, Norwood and McFaddena re exactly the same. Light and fast. We need some thunder to go with our lightning.

SuperBeast · Feb 25, 2008

Any chance of Chris Long dropping to #29? lol

I bet the Pats grab him early.

nastynate184 · Feb 25, 2008

i don't think he drops even as far as the pats. if mcfadden is off the board but he is still there i would want the raiders to grab his ass

SRW · Feb 27, 2008

2008 Scouting Combine: Monday

The defensive front seven were on display on day five. While it didnt garner nearly as much excitement as day four, it was just as important in evaluating prospects for teams looking to get stronger at the point of attack. There werent many wowing numbers, but a couple of interesting stories developed nonetheless.

Athletic freak Vernon Gholston was the story of the day. Gholston opened the day with an official 4.67 40 at 266 pounds and a 35.5 inch vertical to go along with his 37 reps. By living up to his expectations, Gholston has secured his spot high in the draft and will likely be the selection to the Jets at six overall, who are desperate for that 3-4 rush linebacker to transform their defense.

On the defensive line, there were several pass rushers I came away very impressed with. First was Purdues Cliff Avril. After the departure of Anthony Spencer to the NFL draft, the pressure was on Avril to produce as the teams pass rushing end. He played fairly well showing good burst of the line of scrimmage. At the combine, he repeated just that with a 4.51 40 including a solid start. He finished high in the cone drill, an agility test, and looks like a mid-late round tweener. Another end I was impressed with was Wake Forests Jeremy Thompson. Thompson looked very fast off the edge at the Senior Bowl and continued an impressive offseason at the Combine. On Monday he ran a 4.75 40 yard dash along with 25 strength reps, a 32 inch vertical jump, and impressive numbers in the agility drills. He looks like someone who can be brought in and collect sacks with quickness late in the game. The third end was Auburns Quentin Groves. Groves was banged up for much of the year but has great athleticism that showed today. After benching 225 pound 30 times and running an official 4.57, Groves has propelled himself back into the first round of the draft.

Moving to the inside, what more can Trevor Laws do to help his stock? While his Fighting Irish were a laughing stock the entire season, Laws compiled a great season as defensive tackle by recording over 100 tackles. Travelling to Mobile, Alabama, Laws was impressive yet again with quick burst and good penetration on a daily basis. Now Laws will leave Indy as a 61, 304 pound under tackle who ran an unofficial 5.08 40, had 35 reps with a 30.5 inch vertical leap. After a spectacular Combine, it leaves me to wonder how high he can go. Is the tail end of the first round a possibility?

The same can be asked of Calais Campbell, the defensive end from Miami (FL). It was the hype surrounding his athleticism that kept Calais Campbell in the first round. At 68, 290 pounds, Calais Campbell ran a 5.03. While thats not bad for a man his size, it didnt live up to what we were hearing. Overall he did nothing to impress scouts. Following a pedestrian Combine and a less than stellar junior season where does that leave Campbell? My best guess would say somewhere in the middle of the second round.

The same disappointment can be echoed for LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith. Highsmith has the reputation of the undersized kid who hits hard and runs well. Not anymore. At a little under 60 and 230 pounds, Highsmith came out and ran an unofficial 4.96 40 yard dash. This combination of size and speed is very alarming to scouts who will likely not touch the kid until after the second round. His game speed certainly appears much quicker, but his timed speed will surely devastate his stock.

On the other hand, 64, 245 pound monster Shawn Crable came out with an official 4.64 40 yard dash and 29 strength reps. Can he now hit the first round? Had the Patriots had the 31st overall selection, he would have been a hot ticket to New England in many mock drafts. A team will love Crables ability to rush the passer and fluidity to stand up at the next level. With the Giants affinity for rushing the pass and their experiment trying Mathias Kiwanuka out at linebacker, Crable could be the pick to close out the first round.

Inside, I love Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilts linebacker, and the potential he brings to the table. He had a very productive season and can play well from the inside. At 62, 245, Goff came out with an official 40 time of 4.63. If he can be taught to make better use of his hands in shedding blocks, he could be one of the few linebackers in the class who can play the coveted inside linebacker position in the 3-4. Hes a guy who has been overlooked, but has the potential to be selected in the second round.

Finally, there were a few more athletic linebackers who performed well today. The first was Purdues Stanford Kegler, who is seldom mentioned. At 62, 239, he has the body for the NFL and at 4.58 he has the speed as well. Kegler went through the full workout and finished near the top of his position in nearly every category. Hes an impressive kid with good potential. Then I also liked Virginia Techs Xavier Adibi (4.69 40). Adibi measured in at 61, 235, which surpassed his expectations. He has the body for the NFL and plays coverage very well. Hed fit in perfectly for a team running the Cover 2. Then theres Florida State outside linebacker, Geno Hayes, who decided to leave school early. For the most part, many of the linebackers today hurt themselves with below average 40 yard dashes. 4.7 has seemed to be a good cutoff number for linebackers with a few exceptions. With many running below that number, Hayes came out with a solid 4.64. He can get up and down with tight ends and backs, but many wonder how physical he can be at the point of attack. Lastly, I also loved Jerod Mayo from Tennessee. At 61, 242, Mayo tested well with an unofficial 4.56 40 and a 32 inch vertical leap. He was a round two guy prior to the Combine due to lack of polish. Look for him to go in the late first-early second range thanks to slowish days from the rest of the crop.
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Notes from Tuesday at the Combine:

Notre Dame S Tom Zbikowski ran unofficial 4.52 and 4.56 forties at the NFL Scouting Combine. He also bench pressed 225 24 times. Arkansas State SS Tyrell Johnson, who's asserted himself as a workout warrior in a good sense, led DBs in the bench press with 27 reps. Zbikowski will likely only play special teams initially, but should at worst grow into a third safety with added punt return and street fighting value.

South Florida CB Mike Jenkins ran an unofficial 4.40 forty at the Combine. This will help the 5'10/197-pound senior. Other unofficial times of note: Penn State CB Justin King (4.31), Arkansas State SS Tyrell Johnson (4.43), UCONN CB Tyvon Branch (4.29), and Arizona State SS Josh Barrett (4.33).

Tennessee State CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ran unofficial 4.28 and 4.34 forties at the NFL Combine Tuesday. Rodgers-Cromartie's cousin, Antonio, ran in the mid 4.4s at the Combine two years ago, although he posted a 4.36 at the Florida State Pro Day. Still, this is blazing for the 6'2 corner. It could vault DRC all the way to the first round.

Kansas CB Aqib Talib posted a 38 inch vertical jump at the NFL Combine. He also unofficially ran 4.48 and 4.47 forties. There were some questions about Talib's pure athleticism coming in, so these marks will help. His vertical was one of the better jumps at the event.

Miami (FL) S Kenny Phillips ran unofficial 4.55 and 4.54 forties at the NFL Combine Tuesday. Phillips will probably be a strong safety at the next level, so this isn't poor timing. It won't help his chances of going high in round one, however.

LSU CB Chevis Jackson ran an unofficial 4.58 forty at the NFL Combine. As most Louisiana State defensive backs are, Jackson is an aggressive and efficient tackler. Like Travis Daniels before him, he could be looked at as a safety by some pro clubs. At 6'0/188, he has a solid frame to fill out.

Arizona CB Antoine Cason ran an unofficial 4.49 forty time at the Combine. He also benched 225 20 times. This should put him back into the first-round discussion. Cason, the 2007 Thorpe Award winner (Aaron Ross won in '06) led Arizona with five picks and 14 pass breakups as a true senior. He'll only be 21 when drafted.

Troy CB Leodis McKelvin ran an unofficial forty time of 4.40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. McKelvin, a versatile corner with tackling skills to play zone and cover skills to play man, also has return ability. With these wheels, he should be able to run away from most kick coverage units in the NFL. He looks like the favorite to be the first cornerback drafted.

Virginia Tech CB Brandon Flowers ran unofficial 4.58 and 4.54 forties at the NFL Combine on Tuesday. This will make him more likely to be a zone corner. Flowers is a fantastic tackler, but this will hurt his chances to go in the top half of the first round. The run stopping DB finished third on the Hokies in tackles last year.

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2008 Scouting Combine: Tuesday Notes

The final day of the Combine is in the books and the high numbers were out in bunches yet again. Half of the 40 yard dashes had already been completed as the NFL Networks coverage began. Though a majority of the coverage did not focus on the glamour event, the 40, much of day showed the positional scouting drills making for an exciting day to scout the players. Lets dive right into it. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie continued a spectacular offseason. Hes from no name Tennessee State, but has the publicity as Antonio Cromarties cousin. His skill set actually mirrors that of his older cousin. Both are tall and athletic with long arms and terrific ball skills. Dominique came out and posted one of the fastest times of the day, an official 4.33. At 62, he also posted the highest vertical leap (38.5 inches) and tied for the top number in the broad jump (10 feet, 11 inches). In the drills, many of the corners looked a little rough and choppy in the hip turns, but he looked fairly good for the most part and caught the ball at its peak.

The hottest non-Cromartie name would probably belong to that of Leodis McKelvin, widely considered to be the top corner in the upcoming draft. At 511, 190, McKelvin ran a blazing 4.38 40. He looked good in the rest of the drills and impressed all four of the men on set at the NFL Network, including former All-Pro and future Hall of Famer cornerback, Deion Sanders. Hes impressed everyone with his ability to get in and out of breaks quickly and fluently, which will make him one of the first corners taken in the first round. Perhaps just as important, rumor has it that hes been acing interviews with superior football knowledge and great charisma.

South Floridas Mike Jenkins has also been impressive in the workouts. It was supposed to be teammate Trae Williams who would steal the show in Indy, but it was actually Jenkins. Though he measured nearly two inches shorter than expected he also ran a 4.38, a few hundredths off of the top time. Jenkins is a very physical man-to-man corner who has the tools and mind required to play at the next level. It should be interesting to see where he fits in with the other guys in the clbutt. If I had to venture a guess at this time, Id say hed be the second corner off the board behind McKelvin.

Antoine Cason was one of the bigger question marks coming into the Combine. There were differing opinions on how fast hed time. Many thought he was a 4.4 guy while some thought hed come in with a 4.5 or 4.6 time. Cason is a bigger corner who excels in zone coverage, but also has the versatility to play man. Cason came out with 20 strength reps and an unofficial 4.49 40 yard dash. While those may not appear as incredible numbers, couple it with great size and a great performance in the positional skill drills, his overall day Combine was quite impressive.

Aqib Talib, the corner out of Kansas, had a day that mirrored his season. It was very up and down. At 61, 202, Talib showed his athleticism with a sub-4.5 40 yard dash, a 38 inch vertical, and tied Rodgers-Cromartie for the best broad jump. On the flipside, he struggled a little in the drills not looking fluid at times. He didnt match others with his ability to flip the hips. The bottom line is that he has unique ability, but will need some work around the edges to become a consistent, solid cornerback in the league.

Every day, its looking as if Kenny Phillips may need that same kind of polish. He looked very stiff in the hips and didnt amaze scouts and fans with an incredible workout. Touted as the second coming of Ed Reed and Sean Taylor, Phillips hasnt lived up to the billing on the field and now in the workouts. Once hailed as a top ten pick, he could now see himself slip into the second round, though a team like Green Bay would more than likely snatch him up if he was sitting at number 30.

Then there were two slower safeties that didnt light up the Combine, but looked good just about everywhere else. First is Boston Colleges Jamie Silva who I believe ran in the 4.8s. His speed is not a great indicator of his range. Hes very intelligent and diagnoses plays quickly. Hes strong against the run and looks like a playmaker in the secondary. Silva even looked good in the hips today, where many guys struggled. If only he ran in the 4.5 range, he would more than likely be a second round selection. At this speed, hell probably be a day two guy. Then there was Alabama cornerback Simeon Castille who ran an unofficial 4.72 40 yard dash. At that speed he has no future at cornerback, but teams will follow the recent trend and move him to free safety. In the drills, Castille looked among the smoothest coming in and out of breaks. His hips, probably the biggest thing on the day, also looked very fluent. He could be someone in the mold of a Tanard Jackson, though scouts will have to watch more tape to see how well the kid can hit.
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KJ3 · Feb 27, 2008

The Houston Chronicle expects the Texans to use their first-round pick on a cornerback. It's a huge need area with Dunta Robinson hurt and little talent after Fred Bennett. The Texans play a good amount of man coverage, and Troy's Leodis McKelvin is the top press corner in the draft. The Chronicle believes that if a top three RB is there at No. 18, however, the Texans would snap him up.
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I would just like to point out that while I've been saying this, and fully believe it's true, the Houston Chronicle has PAGES of brown-streaked doo-doo across the sports section about 99% of the time. This tells me that Texans' Front Office isn't sold on any of the first round cb's...

andy82 · Feb 27, 2008

SuperBeast said: ↑

Any chance of Chris Long dropping to #29? lol

I bet the Pats grab him early.
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He'll be gone at #2. Us drafting him would be a huge coup for our Defence as DE is one of our biggest weaknesses and we need a run stuffer BADLY.

Roy31 · Mar 1, 2008

I cant remember the guys name but he was on here like mid-season talking about how slow Sweed is. Freaking mister know it all rated all the positions or whatever. Sweed runs a 4.5 haha!

ActionJackson39 · Mar 1, 2008

How'd Joe Flacco do?

eaglesrule4ever · Mar 1, 2008

ActionJackson39 said: ↑

How'd Joe Flacco do?
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He did good i guess his stock will go up he has the biggest arm in this years draft hands down!

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2008 NFL Scouting Combine Discussion

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2008 NFL Scouting Combine Discussion

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nastynate184 Fuck Michigan

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